A multimedia data stream is a stream of encoded video data able to be transmitted for receipt by a player application, typically a media player application. Prior to transmission of the multimedia data stream, the data stream is partitioned into a plurality of packets containing data representing a portion of a frame of the encoded video data. Both the stream itself and each respective packet of the stream includes a header that provides information representing stream syntax to the receiving system about the stream and/or packet being received. Existing systems encode this information in at least one of a text and binary format. However, these formats are problematic in that they are not easily upgradeable and require the player to be hard coded with a set of instructions able to decode the stream in the encoded format. Thus, the stream flexibility is reduced because stream proxies used to decode the data stream must be updated to handle any altered stream syntax or else are subject to failure.
Markup Languages are widely used languages that provide a way of depicting the logical structure or semantics associated with an element of data and provide instructions to a system on how to at least one of handle, process and display the received data stream. Examples of markup languages are Hypertext markup language (HTML), eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and Standard General Markup Language (SGML). Markup languages provide a mechanism for annotating data or a collection of digital data in order to indicate the structure of the document or datafile and the contents of its data elements. These languages are readily expandable. However, they are -generally associated with a stream of data and not formed integral therewith.
A system according to invention principles address these deficiencies and associated problems.